Pneumatic track-sander.



A. S. GONTL PNEUMATIC TRACK SANDER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 10,1912.

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Patented 00a. ,22, 1912.

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' riinoiv'raric" TRACK-saunas.

peci ficati'on of Izetters I atent. Application filed May 10, 1912. Serial No. 696,384.

Patent ed oct. 22, rate.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTHONY S. Conn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Track-Sanders, of which the follow- 'ing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in track sanders and'more specifically to that class thereof in which compressed air is used to facilitate the discharge of the sand onto the track.

The object of my invention is the production of a sander of the character mentioned which will be of improved construction and efiicient in operation.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed. The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary horizontal section of a conventional form of locomotive engine sand box to which is applied a sanding device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken on substantially line rc-a1 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section of one end portion of the device together with the adjacent portion of the sand box which is also shown in section, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the lower end portion of one of the sand discharging pipes.

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in the drawing comprises an elongated body 1 which is adapted to be arranged upon the side of the sand box 2 and rigidly secured thereto by means of screws or other suitable fastening device 3 1 over the sand discharge openings 4 which lead from said'sand box. Provided in the respective ends of the body 1 are angular passages 5, corresponding ends of which register with the outer ends of the discharge openings 4, as clearly shownin Figs. 1 and The opposite ends of the body 1 ar similar in form so that the constructir. of one will sultice for both. The portion of the passage 5 extending axially with the opening 4' is accessible through a removable screw plug 6 in order to dislodge any clogging particles which may be come lodged in said passage, or the opening 4, as will be readily understood. The outer end of said plug is squared, as shown, for engagement byia' Wrench or other suitable tool for effecting ready rotation thereof.

Communicating with the opposite end of the passage 5 is a discharge pipe 7 which terminates at its lower end directly above and in close proximity to the track which it is desired to sand. The lower end of said pipe is surrounded by an annular jacket Swith which communicates a steam supply pipe- 9 and a vent pipe 10 in which is pro vided the vent opening 10.

The steam jacket 8, serves as a means of preventing clogging of the lower end of the discharge pipe by reason of freezing in cold weather, the provislon of said jacket and together with the steam supply pipe 9 and the vent 10 communicating therewith, serving to maintain the lower end of said pipe 7 in heated condition so as to preclude the possibility of clogging for the reason above mentioned;

Threaded in the body 1 is an air jet nozzle 11 which is arranged. coaxial with the upper end of pipe 7, the outer or discharge end of said nozzle projecting into the adjacentend of pipe 7 a considerable distance, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The opposite end of nozzle 11 projects into a chamber 12 formed in the body 1 the outer end of which is closed by a removable plate 13 secured in position by screws or other suitable fastening device 14. Said end of said. nozzle is polygonal in form so as to be readily engageable by a wrench or other suitable tool for effecting removal of said nozzle if desired when the closure plate 13 is removed. Communicating with the chamber 12 is a compressed air supply pipe 15 which leads from any suitable source of compressed air supply.

In the operation of the sander the compressed air supplied to the chamber l2 will pass through the nozzle 11 and be discharged from the outer end of the latter in a jet. The discharge of a jet of air axially into the pipe 7 induces a suction or draft in the adjacent end of said pipe which serves to draw the sand from the passage 5 into the pipe 7 the sand flowing into said passage 5 from the sand box through the opening 4 by gravity. The sand which is drawn into the the nozzle and deposited onto the rail posi tioned below the lower end of said pipe. Chamber 12 serves as a trap in which any moisture which may be contained in the air supplied thereto from the pipe 15 will be retained and thereby prevented from being discharged from the nozzle 11 into the sand passing through the pipe 7 to cause the dampening and hence the possible clogging of the latter. The bottom of the portion of the passage adjacent the pipe 7 is inclined,

as shown in Fig. 2 so as to serve as a means W of preventing the sand from discharging therethrough by gravity when it is not dc sired to'operate the sander. With thisconstruction, when compressed air is not being supplied to the device, the sand will clog I itself in the restricted or converging pore tion of'the passage 5 and thereby automatically stop the flow therethrough until coinpressed air is supplied to the device to create the suction or draft in the pipe 7 as above described. Two pipes 7 are provided for '00- operation with the two drivers which'are provided at each side of the locomotive engine, a device of the construction set forth, in practice being provided at each side of the sand box. "a A sander of the construction set forth is durable and economical of construction and I of highefliciency in operation.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying mmy, invention into effect, this is capable of 1 variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention.- I,

-. appended claims.

claim as new and desire matic track sander comprlsing an elongated body mounted upon said sand box, said body" having angular passages in its ends, correvsponding terminals of said passages regis .name to this specification 1n the presenceof tering with said discharge openings of said sand box; a discharge pipe leading from the opposite end of each of'said' passages; an airjet nozzle removably secured in each end of said body having its discharge end projecting axially into the adjacent end of. the

corresponding discharge pipe a chamber provided at the op'posite'end of each of said nozzles; and a compressed air supply pipe communicating with each of said chainlgers substantially as described. I v

v 2. The combination with a sand box hay-- ing two sand discharge openings, of a pneu-- matic track sander comprising anelongated body mounted upon. said sandbox, said body having'angular passages in its ends,corresponding terminals of said passages'registering with said discharge openingsof said sand box; a discharge pipe leading from the oppositeend of each of said passages, the portions of said passages approaching said discharge pipes converging towardthe latter; an air jet nozzle removably s ecuredin each end ofsa d body'havmg its d scharge end projecting axially into the adjacent end of said pipe; a chamber provided at the opfposite end of each of said nozzles; and a preaching said pipes being inclined upwardly; an air jet nozzle provided in each end of said body having its discharge end projecting into the adjacent end of the correspondingdischarge pipe; a chamber provided zit-the opposite end of each of said nozzles; and a compressed air supply pipe communicating with each of said chambers, substantially as described. k '1 t. The combination with a sand box, of a sand discharge pipe leading therefrom; an

annular steam jacket encircling the lower end of said pipe; and a steam pipe and an outwardly opening ventcommunicating with said jacket, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my witnesses.

JOSHUA R. [:l. Po'r'rs, ARTHUR A. OLsoN.

two subscribing 

